2024 is set to be a great year for comedy movies with a whole slate of films already on the cards. Comedy is frequently used as a sub-genre for pictures to lighten the tone, engage the audience, and capitalize on escapism by providing something to laugh along with and enjoy. 2023 was a solid year for comedy movies with hits like Barbie leading the pack. Superhero movies like Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Ant-Man: Quantumania also infused comedy into the story to great effect.
The line-up for 2024 looks to be even more promising with a range of theatrical releases and movies coming to streaming. With animated sequels, reboots of classic stories, and even reimagined narratives of familiar stories, there are a lot of comedy movies to be excited about. Whether the misadventures of a talking cat or an irreverent superhero comedy, 2024 will have something for everyone in the comedy genre.
16 Mean Girls
January 19, 2024
The Plastics return in a new take on the popular original 2004 hit Mean Girls. When Cady moves to a new school, she is quickly taken in by the popular girls group, but one misstep and Cady finds herself cast out. Written by the comedy genius Tina Fey, the story is brought up to date and the comedy hits as hard as ever. Fortunately, Mean Girls is in theaters very early in 2024, so no long wait to find out how Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) takes down the queen bee, that is Regina George (Reneé Rapp). The film will also feature popular comedy actors such as John Hamm, Jenna Fischer, Tim Meadows, and Tina Fey herself.
15 Lisa Frankenstein
February 9, 2024
Diablo Cody, the writer for hit comedies like Juno and Jennifer’s Body, is creating a wonderful retelling of the classic Frankenstein story with some modern gothic twists. Directed by Zelda Williams, and starring Kathryn Newton as the titular Lisa Frankenstein opposite her love interest, a monster played by Cole Sprouse. Young Lisa is lonely and longs for the love of her ideal man. The only problem is he’s dead. Living up to her Frankenstein name, she finds a way to bring him back to life, and together, they do what they need to make him whole and secure their love. With a great pedigree behind this film and a twisted dark romance, Lisa Frankenstein is sure to be a hit when it arrives in theaters in February 2024.
14 The Fall Guy
March 1, 2024
Ryan Gosling plays stuntman, Colt Seavers, who comes out of retirement to help his ex-girlfriend, director, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt) in The Fall Guy. When the star of the movie that Jody is working on, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), goes missing, Colt is recruited to help find and bring him back. However, things get a lot more complicated when Colt finds Tom dead in a hotel bathroom covered in ice. The movie promises to be action-packed, tells an epic love story, and features plenty of laughs throughout. The Fall Guy will be in theaters from March 1, 2024.
13 Drive-Away Dolls
March 15, 2024
Drive-Away Dolls is a comedy thriller from Ethan Coen, of the Coen brothers. The film revolves around two girls who set out to get a fresh start by taking a road trip down south to Tallahassee. However, a series of unfortunate events puts them squarely in the crosshairs of a criminal organization that is struggling to keep their act together. Featuring appearances from major stars such as Matt Damon, and Pedro Pascal, the film promises to be a comedy worth watching. Also appearing in theaters from March 2024.
12 The American Society Of Magical Negroes
March 22, 2024
The American Society of Magical Negroes is the directorial debut for Kobi Libii and will star Justice Smith as a young man recruited into a mysterious community of Black people who practice magic. The Society is established with one specific goal as its driving force; to make the lives of white people easier. The movie is described as a “fresh, satirical comedy” (via Focus Features) and will debut at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in late January before its theatrical release in March. As of writing, the trailer has yet to be released, meaning little else is known about the film.
11 Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
March 29, 2024
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will see the younger cast of the most recent entries join forces with the original Ghostbusters crew to face their biggest threat yet. When the Spengler family travels to New York City to see the old firehouse where it all started, they discover the old team working away in a secret lab, having refined their ghostbusting over the years. But, when a new evil threat is unleashed on the world, everyone must work together to stop the world from entering into another ice age.
10 Kung Fu Panda 4
March 29, 2024
The original star-studded cast returns for Kung Fu Panda 4, when Po must decide between his role as the Spiritual Leader of the Peace Valley and his duties as the Dragon Warrior. Po chooses a new successor to train as the upcoming Dragon Warrior, but when a new threat comes along with the power to bring Po’s greatest foes from the past back to fight him once again, he will need all the help he can get to protect his home. The Kung Fu Panda franchise delivers great comedy fun for all the family and Kung Fu Panda 4 promises to do much of the same when it arrives in theaters in March 2024.
9 My Ex-Friends Wedding
May 10, 2024
My Ex-Freind’s Wedding follows four women who receive a drunken voicemail from a former childhood friend. They decide to get back together and go to the wedding to rekindle their friendship. So far, Amanda Seyfried, Ariana DeBose, Megan Stalter, Chloe Fineman, and Liza Koshy have been confirmed in the cast (via Deadline). Few other details have been revealed, but with the talented cast and crew attached to the project, it promises to be a fun outing.
8 The Garfield Movie
May 24, 2024
The Garfield Movie starring Chris Pratt as the titular lasagna-loving cat is out in cinemas on May 24, 2024. The story follows Garfield as he meets up with his long-lost father, Vic, and they set off on a wild adventure together. Vic is voiced by Samuel L. Jackson and the film promises to be fun for all ages. With Pratt becoming a popular staple in animated comedy films, The Garfield Movie looks promising.
7 Imaginary Friends
May 24, 2024
Written and directed by John Krasinski, Imaginary Friends follows the story of a young girl who experiences a traumatic event and then begins to see abandoned imaginary friends. The cast is star-studded with Emily Blunt, Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carell, Matt Damon, Vince Vaughn, Awkwafina, Maya Rudolph, and many more connected to the project. The whimsical concept and presence of such talented comedy actors set this project up to be a highlight for 2024 when it releases in theaters in May 2024.
6 Bad Boys 4
June 14, 2024
Martin Lawrence and Will Smith return to their most popular buddy cop role for a fourth outing in the Bad Boys franchise. Not much has been revealed about the plot for this story, but it will likely follow on from the events of the 2020 movie. Directors Adil and Bilall also return to direct following their work on the previous entry.
5 Inside Out 2
June 14, 2024
A sequel to Disney Pixar’s Inside Out from 2015, audiences will return to the innermost thoughts of Riley, now in her teenage years, as the emotions are introduced to a large group of new feelings who will occupy some of the space in Riley’s head. The original cast led by Amy Poehler’s Joy will return, joined by new emotions like Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke. The film will certainly have a theatrical release ahead of its appearance on Disney+, likely later in 2024.
4 Despicable Me 4
July 5, 2024
The plot for Despicable Me 4 is yet to be announced, but as the fourth installment in the mainline series, it is likely to pick up where things left off in Despicable Me 3. While Gru’s twin brother Dru escaped, Gru and Lucy grew closer together, and Lucy chose to officially become a mother figure to the girls. The regular cast returns, led by Steve Carell as Gru, and featuring Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrave, and Steve Coogan as Lucy, Margo, and Silas Ramsbottom respectively.
3 Deadpool 3
July 26, 2024
Deadpool 3 is one of the most anticipated movies of 2024, bringing Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool back to the big screen alongside Wolverine, with both characters making their official MCU debut. While very little about the plot has been revealed, rumors continue to swirl about more celebrity guests appearing in the film and how the movie will explain the transition from the Fox universe to the main MCU. However, the film promises to be action-packed, stuffed with comedy, and R-rated.
2 Borderlands
August 9, 2024
Borderlands is a popular video game series and in 2024, it will have its first feature-length movie adaptation of the series. With director Eli Roth helming the project and stars like Janina Gavankar, Ariana Greenblatt, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and more joining the cast, it certainly has raw talent. But video games have been hit or miss over the last couple of decades, and as the last few years have finally seen more video game adaptations hitting their stride, there is hope that Borderlands will join the list of hits.
1 Beetlejuice 2
September 6, 2024
Michael Keaton returns as the titular ghoul who haunts and possesses those in the world of the living for Beetlejuice 2. Directed by Tim Burton and also bringing back Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, all grown up. The film will also star Jenna Ortega as Astrid Deetz, the daughter of Lydia. Very little else has been announced about the film, but the movie is sure to delight new and old fans as a sequel to the 1998 film.
